Sea otters were hunted almost to extinction for their fur. Their recovery is a conservation success, but stranded and orphaned individuals require intensive specialist care, and oil spill threats remain.
Sea otter welfare is acutely linked to their extreme metabolic needs. Cold water and their unique fur-based thermal insulation system mean that oil contamination is rapidly fatal — oil destroys the insulating air layer in the fur, causing hypothermia. Stranded pups that have lost their mothers require exceptional care including feeding, grooming, and socialisation to prevent imprinting on humans. Aquarium rehabilitation facilities have developed specialist protocols that allow successful pup release.